The Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal is the stage for this weekend’s eleventh WorldSBK round,
which is the final round of the season for the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. Rider Bradley Ray completed yesterday’s free practice sessions in nineteenth place with a team of 1’42”765.
This morning, after the third free practice, the young British rider was back out for Superpole. Despite improving significantly on his best lap (1’41”147), Ray set the eighteenth fastest time, but with two riders ahead of him subsequently disqualified, the Brit lined up in sixteenth place, on row six of the grid, for Race 1. A fairly strong start allowed him to make up several places early on, but Bradley was then unable to find the kind of pace that would allow him to catch the group ahead of him. He therefore crossed the line in seventeenth place.
Tomorrow’s schedule will see Ray compete in the morning’s Superpole race followed by the afternoon’s second full-length Superbike race.
"Sixteenth place on the grid, obtained also thanks to the penalties handed to other riders, had us feeling confident that we could finish in the points today. Unfortunately that was not the case. We’ll continue to work during warm-up and tomorrow’s race to round out our season in a positive fashion.”
“Looking at our position in the race, it isn’t great, but honesty I feel like I’m riding the bike really well and don’t feel far off. I am losing a lot of time out of the corners though and that makes the races difficult. Hopefully the team and I can find a good solution for Sunday’s sprint race and long race and finish the season strong.”
